The present invention relates generally to insect traps and more specifically to a trap which uses ultra-violet light to attract the insects to be trapped.
Many forms of insect traps exist both commercially and in the patent art, but most have in common the problem of disposal of entrapped insects or the trapping element. For most users of insect traps, the only thing more distressing than an accumulation of flying insects is an accumulation of dead ones in a container or on a sticky surface. The fewer actions that need to be taken to "empty" the trap and replenish the trapping element, the better the user feels about it. Yet, most of the prior art requires some action such as picking up a sheet of paper laden with dead insects, or unlatching or unfolding some type of structure. Replacing a new element usually involves folding into a complex structure a trap coated with a sticky substance which makes handling difficult. U.S. Pat. No. 3,023,539 is typical of just such a device.
A further difficulty with sticky insect traps is the manufacture, packaging and shipping of the trapping element. Complex shapes create more difficulty and expense in the manufacture and delivery to the ultimate consumer.